Chapter Text
Watching Heaven’s Vice was the beginning of Harry’s journey down the rabbit hole of 'appreciation for the same entertainment Macy enjoyed'. It started with that episode (and living out that episode) but Harry found himself sucked into the vortex of spending Friday nights on the couch with Macy.
She surprised him with the range of things she enjoyed- serious crime dramas to half-hour comedies. It was amazing that she had a PhD and somehow kept up with the cultural zeitgeist. Despite his many years walking the Earth, Harry had long given up following cultural phenomenons in the world of media- he found that people's interests were too fickle, and frankly, it took too much effort.
But for Macy, he would grit his teeth and sit through countless hours of nonsensical television. (and much like a victim of brainwashing, he began to enjoy it)
“And what is our challenge of the week?”
“Challenge?” Macy cocked an eyebrow at him while she adjusted the laptop in front of them. They were in the living room for their weekly appointments: Harry would prepare the snacks as Macy was in charge of the selection. “If you don’t enjoy my company, you are very welcome to leave..” she continued, narrowing her eyes at him. Harry raised his hands in surrender, a weary smile on his face. She smiled in response, her lips forming a self-satisfied curve.
“Okay, as part of your education, I’m bringing on my favourite movie genre- the rom-com.” She snuck underneath the blanket she had draped over the couch, picking up her cup of hot chocolate and taking a sip.
“The romantic comedy- yes, the cliched genre that has ruined countless generations of women.”
“And men! This is not purely for us females to enjoy.”
Harry scoffed but leaned back into the cushions, arms crossed as though to steel himself against the show they were about to watch. “Anyway, I picked a classic- You’ve Got Mail. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were the ultimate movie couple- and I would still watch them together if they ever happened to do another project.”
She leaned forward and clicked play on the screen. While the images begun to shift in front of them, Harry snuck a look at Macy from the corner of his eye. She was positively giddy, bouncing slightly in her seat, her eyes focused on the movie. She was saying something about internet dial-up tones but all Harry could see was the joy emanating out from her. True, she was usually excited to ‘broaden his media consumption horizons’ but watching this movie clearly brought out something else in her.
“You really like this one, don’t you?”
She turned to him, startled by the question. She took a moment to consider her answer, biting her lower lip thoughtfully (Harry could not help that his gaze lingered on that small movement of hers a little longer than necessary)
“Yes, I really do. It was one of the first romcoms I ever saw or at least the first that stuck with me. My dad used to watch movies with me, growing up,” she shifted slightly in her seat, the discomfort of speaking of her late father seeping through. Harry felt a twinge in his heart, silently rebuking himself for unknowingly bringing up a sore memory for her.
“Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan meet in a bookstore in this. That’s how my parents met- it was something my dad would bring up whenever I wanted to rewatch it.” Macy smiled sadly at the last statement, meeting Harry’s eyes. Instinctively, he reached out to squeeze her knee, something he had unconsciously begun to do in their developing… relationship friendship.
“If you like it so much, I am determined to enjoy it, too.” Her smile broke into a grin, biting her lower lip once again (funny how that habit of hers had such an effect on him). He tore his eyes away from watching her and looked back at the screen where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan walked past each other, unaware of the other’s presence despite their established online-bond.
Harry found that much like Heaven’s Vice, he enjoyed the movie as it progressed. The snappy writing, the witty banter- he could see why Macy enjoyed it. Unlike the guilty pleasure, this was something he took genuine joy in. He watched ShopGirl and NY152 fall in love, cringed when Joe typed the initial draft of his ‘apology’ IM, grinned when Joe showed up with flowers as Stevie Wonder played in the background. Macy too, had fallen into their usual comfort zone, her commentary filling in gaps in the show ("You carry handkerchiefs, don't you Harry?", "Pride and Prejudice can be considered the ultimate rom-com.", “I like daisies, too”) Harry found himself filing that information away in the ever-growing folder of Dr Vaughn’s favourites in his mind.
As Tom Hanks wiped away Meg Ryan’s tears before the end title appeared, Harry turned to find Macy gazing at him, the corner of her mouth (those soft pink lips, he thought before pushing that idea out of his head) quirked up in what almost looked like a smirk. He raised his eyebrows at her.
“I see that you liked it more than you thought you would.”
Her teasing tone made him roll his eyes, but Harry could not help his sheepish smile. He let out a long sigh before admitting defeat, “I must say, that was a good movie.” He laughed at the way her right arm shot in the arm, a fist pump of celebration at her success.
“I know it’s silly, but romcoms are a safe space for me. The couple always ends up together, the leading lady gets her man, and they live happily ever after. Or at least until the credits roll. There’s something comforting about that.”
She stood up to clear off the plates, making her way to the kitchen. Harry followed suit, carrying her laptop for her. “So, what are we watching next Friday?”
“Well, there are other TV series that are just as bad-good as Heaven’s Vice,” she began, loading the dishwasher and turning it on. “Or…” her eyes met his, she shrugged, tilting her head to the side.
“Another rom-com?”
She nodded, excitedly. “I promise, Sleepless in Seattle is just as good!”
“As you wish..”
“Harry! Was that a reference?”
“Reference to what?”
“Never mind. Maybe we’ll watch Princess Bride instead.”
She wished him good night as she made her way upstairs, Harry gazing at her retreating form. While he could not fault the chemistry of the two leads in the show, a growing alarm filled him as he realised why he enjoyed the movie that much- it had made Macy happy, and after her struggles with discovering her Demon side, it was good to be a part of something that made her happy. What alarmed him was that his own priorities were shifting, placing her needs significantly higher than that of other matters.
And though it was not his primary duty as her Whitelighter, Harry vowed to continue to make her happy, in every way she would allow him to.